Hearing Held On Farm Worker Conditions

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The Michigan Civil Rights Commission was in Hartford Monday for a public hearing on the challenges facing migrant and seasonal farmworkers in the state. In 2010 the civil rights commission released a report called A Report on the Conditions of Seasonal and Migrant Farmworkers in Michigan. Monday’s hearing was to take another look at Michigan’s migrant workers and the conditions they work under. Dr. Agustin Arbulu directs the Michigan Department of Civil Rights.

“The Commission had issues an original report back in 2010 on farm worker conditions really focusing on health, housing and other related issues pertaining to the farmworkers in Michigan. So it’s been close to ten years and now the Commission is revisiting that issue to see what has improved, what has not improved.”

Housing conditions have improved to good, but enforcement and wages still need urgent improvement according to the Michigan Civil Rights Commission  On wages, the Commission has asked Attorney General Dana Nessel to review an opinion from the former AG that farmworkers in Michigan are not entitled to minimum wage. These hearings are part of the Commission’s long-standing commitment to improving migrant seasonal farmworker conditions.